NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State hosts Indiana State in the final game of the 2017 calendar year, as both teams are looking to improve to 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.
GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (7-6, 1-0 MVC) vs. Indiana State Sycamores (6-7, 1-0 MVC)
When: Sunday, Dec. 31
Tip-Off: 3Â p.m.
Location: Normal, Illinois
Arena: Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena (10,200)
TV: ESPN3
  Kurt Pegler, play-by-play
   Bob Morris, analyst
Radio:Â Illinois State Radio Network
   Dick Luedke, play-by-play
  Mike Matthews, analyst
Live Stats: Illinois State StatBroadcast
SETTING THE TABLE
•   Phil Fayne is currently the only men's basketball player in the Missouri Valley Conference that ranks inside of the top-10 in both blocks and steals. Of the last 16 players in MVC history to finish a season ranked in the top-10 in both, five of those played for Illinois State (Anthony Slack, 2006-07; Dana Ford, 2005-06; Nate Green, 1997-98, 1998-99, and 1999-00).
•   Illinois State rallied from a 10-point deficit on Dec. 23 against Evansville, and it was the 10th time since 2010-11 that the Redbirds had a double-digit deficit before winning. (Page 4)
•   Illinois State guard/forward Milik Yarbrough was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week for the second consecutive week. (page 4)
•   The trio of Keyshawn Evans, Yarbrough, and Evans are one of five trios in the NCAA this season that all average at least 16 points per game this season. (page 4)
•   The aforementioned trio is averaging 52.5 points per game, which is the ninth-highest three-player scoring average in the country, the fourth-most in Missouri Valley Conference history, and ninth in Illinois State history. (page 5)
•   Illinois State is 17-3 all-time when Fayne leads the Redbirds in rebounds. (page 5)
•   Yarbrough ranks fifth in the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes. (page 6)
•   The Redbirds have the three highest scoring duos in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, as Evans and Fayne, Evans and Yarbrough, and Fayne and Yarbrough each average at least 34.0 points per game as a group, where the next highest pair, Evansville's Ryan Taylor and Dru Smith average 33.8 points per game. (page 6)
•   Illinois State's 111-71 record during Dan Muller's tenure is the best of the 13 programs that are in the state of Illinois. (page 7)
•   Illinois State has the 17th-best opponent winning pct. in the country, and the 17th hardest strength of schedule. (page 7)
•   Phil Fayne averages 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game all-time against Indiana State. (page 7)
•   Illinois State is 5-2 all-time on New Years' Eve. (page 17)
•   The Redbirds have out-rebounded three of its last five opponents (BYU, Ole Miss, and Evansville). (page 16)
SCOUTING THE SYCAMORES
Indiana State comes into the second game of the Missouri Valley Conference season on Sunday afternoon having won three of its last five games, including a 73-64 win against Valparaiso in the MVC opener.
In the win over the Crusaders, the Sycamores were led by Jordan Barnes who went for 18 points, including making 4-of-5 three-point baskets, while dishing out three assists and grabbing five rebounds (both tied for the team-high).
Brenton Scott score 15 points, while Qiydar Davis added 11. Davis also dished out three assists, as he also grabbed a game-high three steals.
For the season Barnes averages 17.2 points per game, as he is making over half of his long-range tries (53-of-105, 50.5 percent). Scott avrages 13.9 points, while Davis averages 10.9. Tyreke Key is just off of the double-figure pace at 9.2 points per game.Â
Scott also leads the team with 72 rebounds, as Barnes has dished out 54 assists. Emondre Rickman has blocked a team-best 13 shots, as Scott has 21 steals to pace the squad.Â
DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK
Or do call it a comeback...who are we to judge? When Illinois State rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit against Evansville on Dec. 23, it was the program's 10th game over the past seven years in which the Redbirds overcame deficits of 10 points or more. The school record for the largest comeback is 21 points when the Redbirds trailed Butler by 21 in the second half before rallying for an eight-point overtime win. Below are the most recent deficits of 10 points or more that Illinois State has rallied back from.
16 x 3
This season the Redbirds have three players (Keyshawn Evans, Phil Fayne, and Milik Yarbrough) that average at least 16 points per game. If the group continues at this pace, they will become the fourth Illinois State team since 1950 to have four players with such an average. They will join the 1966-67 team (Jerry McGreal, George Terry, and Steve Arends), 1973-74 (Rick Whitlow, Robert Hawkins, and Ron deVries), and 1975-76 (Roger Powell, Billy Lewis, Jeff Wilkins). Additionally, there are only four other schools in NCAA Division I who have three players that average at least 16 points per game: Marshall, Kansas, Eastern Michigan, and Oakland.
BACK-TO-BACK NEWCOMER HONORS
Milik Yarbrough has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week for the second consecutive week after he averaged 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game during a week in which the Redbirds went 2-0. He made 16-of-29 from the field in the two games (55.2 percent), 3-of-9 from long range, and 13-of-18 (72.2 percent) from the charity stripe.
GETTING TO THE FREE THROW LINE
This season Milik Yarbrough has gone to the free throw line 88 times in his 12 games, with 69 makes. Those 88 attempts have him with fouls drawn per 40 minute total of 8.6, which is the fifth-highest such total in NCAA Division I. Below are the top-seven players in the country in regards to drawing fouls averaged out over 40 minutes, per the website KenPom.
THREE OF A KIND
The Illinois State trio of Evans, Yarbrough, and Fayne combine to average 52.5 points (which is mentioned in other notes after this as well), but that trio is the ninth-highest scoring trio in the NCAA this season, among players that have seen action in at least half of his team's games.
